Get Help After a Driverless Vehicle Accident in Seattle
Major motor vehicle manufacturers and high tech firms are clamoring to develop and sell driverless vehicles. Perhaps you’ve seen a Tesla, Uber, General Motors, Volvo and other driverless cars in the Seattle area. Why do we need “driverless vehicles”? Don’t they cause driverless vehicle accidents?
Well, there are actually some compelling reasons, including:
- Managing and clearing up traffic congestion
- dramatically reducing human-driver caused accidents.
In spite of these reasons, recent driverless vehicle accidents have raised a lot of questions about their safety. In particular, there are no government regulations stating who can be held “liable” in this type of accident. These vehicles are “driverless,” with built-in technology owned by the manufacturer and high tech system designers. Who will you file a claim with in an accident with a driverless vehicle? How will you prove “fault” in an accident like this? What are your rights?
Liability law in driverless car accidents is basically “uncharted territory.” Nothing about an accident like this will be a standard accident claim filed with the causing vehicle owner’s insurance. If you or someone you love is involved in an accident with a driverless vehicle, you do have rights! Due to the complicated nature of establishing liability, it is more important than ever to consult with an expert self-driving car accident lawyer.
Our experienced Seattle driverless car accident lawyers at Premier Law Group are ready to help! Call us today at 206.285.1743 for a FREE Consultation! We will help you receive a fair and just settlement for your injuries!
Will “Self-Driving Cars” Really Be Safer?
It is true that 94% of all vehicle accidents are caused by human error. However, some recent driverless vehicle accidents have pointed out several “safety” concerns and questions, such as:
- Can a driverless vehicle stop in time if humans step into its path?
- How will a driverless vehicle safely share the road with human drivers who are breaking the law
- If a driverless vehicle approaches an intersection where there are no left hand turns, but the human driver makes a left hand turn anyway, what will the driverless car do?
- Will a driverless car be programmed to recognize “human driving language” such as waving the car to drive through an intersection?
Driverless technology is in its infancy. It is going to take extraordinary programming and testing of driverless vehicle technology, so that human drivers and driverless vehicles can safely share the roads together. Injured from a self-driving vehicle, contact our driverless car accident lawyer in Seattle for legal representation.
Can a Driverless Car Be Negligent?
Computer systems run many parts of modern day life, but they are not perfect. Humans “write the software code” that run every computer. So, in the case of a driverless car accident, who is liable and responsible? It will not be “the computer.”
Responsibility, liability and negligence in a driverless vehicle accident will be liable against the car’s owner, or the software programmer, or the vehicle manufacturer. In some cases, liability may be on the manufacturer or assembler of accessory parts that make the driverless car operate.
Driverless Liability After a Traffic Accident
Most people anticipate that driverless vehicle accident claims are going to be “product liability claims” against the manufacturer of the vehicle, or the high tech company that designed its self-driving system.
While this has yet to be tested, the settlements in an injury accident with a driverless vehicle could be much larger, because big corporations have “deep pockets.” This is particularly true when compared to personal auto insurance policy coverages of the “human driver.”
Auto manufacturers and high tech design firms have teams of high-powered corporate attorneys ready to defend them in court, or in litigation. If you or someone you love has injuries from a driverless vehicle, you will need a skilled Seattle car accident lawyer to represent you in a claim against a manufacturer or self-driving system designer.
What Does Inslee’s Order Mean for Me?
In 2017, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order allowing driverless car testing on state roads, whether there’s a human behind the wheel or not. The governor stated that “94% of all car accidents are caused by human error. Driverless vehicles may significantly reduce the number of serious accidents.”
But the order does not address the basic issues:
- Who is liable for injuries and damages caused by driverless vehicle accidents?
- Until ALL drivers own/operate driverless vehicles, how will driverless vehicles survive on roadways with 95% human drivers?
- Even Uber says “that even driverless cars sometimes need human intervention, particularly during inclement weather, or when human drivers make errors in judgment
As it stands today, driverless car road testing is legal. That said, there is no clear regulatory guidance on who is liable in the event of a driverless vehicle accident.
Contact a Dedicated Seattle Self Driving Car Attorney
Do you or someone you love have injuries from a driverless vehicle accident? If so, you need to consult with an experienced Seattle auto accident attorney. You need an advocate who will organize all details of your accident. Not only that, but someone to negotiate on your behalf! The team at Premier Law Group can represent your interests and needs in litigation and court.
Premier Law Group is Here to Help! Our commitment to your success in a driverless vehicle accident case is unrivaled. You pay NO FEES until we win the case.
We offer FREE Consultation for Victims of Driverless Car Accidents with our Expert Auto Accident Law Attorneys!
Call: 206.285.1743 and schedule a Free Accident Case Review today!